Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Spied: 2013 Mercedes A-Class

Mercedes-Benz released two prototypes of its next-generation small cars into the wild this weekend, and our spy shooters were able to capture heavily camouflaged versions of the A-class five-door and “four-door coupe” testing for the first time. The five-door hatch and Mercedes CLS–inspired sedan, along with the minivan-style B-class tall wagon and a possible crossover, are due to hit the U.S. market for the 2013 model year, and the four body styles all will share the same front-wheel-drive platform. The A-class will go toe-to-toe with Audi’s upcoming A3 sedan and hatch and the next-gen BMW 1-series while establishing a smaller and more affordable entry point for new Mercedes-Benz customers.

We have already seen images from European patent filings for the next-gen Mercedes-Benz A-class, and these spy photos confirm the small five-door’s look. Even though the A-class prototype is heavily armored with unwieldy camo, the side and rear glass, roofline, door-handle location, and basic proportions are dead on with what we saw in those drawings. The dramatic body line that sweeps up from the front wheel to the taillight is not visible through the prototype’s heavy camouflage, but its pinched butt and domed hood are.